Magnetic flowmeters are used for liquid flow measurements in fluid processing installations such as chemical plants, food processing plants and pulp and paper plants. a magnetic flowmeter includes a flowtube assembly that is mounted in a piping system. The magnetic flowmeter also includes a transmitter that is connected to the flowtube assembly by a cable, or the transmitter can be integrally mounted to the flowtube assembly.
Like other microprocessor based or digital signal processor (DSP) based transmitters, magnetic flowmeters include measurement circuitry for measuring flow related parameters (flow rate, volume, etc.) of the fluid, and output circuitry for transmitting a flow related output to instrumentation and control equipment. Frequently, this transmission is over an analog circuit, such as a 4-20 mA current loop, which requires analog output circuitry. Also, it is common for flowmeters to transmit flow related information using pulse output circuitry to transmit pulses to a counter which counts the pulses to recover the flow related information.
Magnetic flowmeters are subject to failure due to extremes of temperature, vibration, chemical corrosion and the like. When a failure occurs, there is a need to rapidly diagnose the failure and replace a damaged part of the system. Ascertaining which portion of a magnetic flowmeter has failed can be difficult, particularly when the flowtube assembly is mounted in an inaccessible location. This difficulty in ascertaining whether various parts of a flowmeter are experiencing difficulty is particularly challenging when the analog or pulse outputs of the flowmeter are themselves being scrutinized. There is a desire to automate failure diagnosis so that service personnel can rapidly determine whether a transmitter needs replacement or whether the flowtube assembly and cabling need replacement.
The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.